The present disclosure relates generally to web based services, and, in particular, to methods, systems, and computer program products for providing customized content over a network.
Information is one of an organization's main sources of competitive advantage. It can enable a company to find an opportunity, identify and correct a liability, or provide input to the kind of synthesis that moves it forward. This is true today more than ever. The sources and range of information are expanding exponentially. Ironically, however, this increasing volume of information has a parallel trend in obscurity of information. The more information there is available, the harder it becomes to focus on the sources and subjects that are relevant. A significant resource for obtaining information is the World Wide Web (WWW), or Web for short. Web users utilize web browser programs for acquiring and processing desired information.
Organizations often provide direct access to information on one or more websites maintained by, or on behalf of, the organizations. This direct access may be provided in the form of an extranet that enables authorized customers or preferred entities to obtain a variety of information and content that is not otherwise provided to the general public. When an authorized entity accesses an organization's website, the entity is provided with a main webpage with options or links for directing the entity to additional content. The content provided is often in the form of generalized information in that it does not discriminate among the different requesting entities, nor does it factor in the specific interests of these requesting entities, which may be substantially diverse in nature. Thus, finding content on the website that is of specific interest to the requesting entities can be difficult and time consuming. It is, of course, of great benefit to both the organization and the requesting entities to provide and obtain useful information in an efficient manner.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a way to implement network-based services that offer customized content targeted to specific requesting entities.